Method of finishing the edges of boots and shoes.



A. B. WALES.

METHOD OF FINISHING VTHE EDGES OF BOOTS AND SHOES. \APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 16. WW.

1 ,29.,64$. Patented 5 13 0. :19, 1916.

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ALFRED B. WALES, F WHITMAN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LORENZ MUTHER, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF FINISHING THE EDGES OE BOOTS AND SHOES."

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 1L9, 1916..

Application filed .Tune 16, 1916. Serial No. 104,088.

panying the same and forming a part thereof.

My invention relates particularly to improvements in a method of finishing the edges of boots or shoes, and to such kinds or styles of boots and shoes where it is desirable to bind or cover the edge or edges of the'parts with a suitable binding or covering material. i

What is termed boots or shoes is intended to include slippers, pumps and. oxfords, as well as other kinds or types of footwear. The terms bind or cover are intended to mean to cover with a strip of material, braid or tape folded around the edge of a shoe part and secured thereto.

Heretofore, so far as known to'me, it has been difiicult to bind or cover the edge of a shoe part with a strip of material, particularly where the edge to be bound or covered is curved, without puckeringnthe strip and presenting an uneven width of the strip of material on the outside of the finished shoe part. Furthermore, the methods of binding or covering the edges of shoe parts with strips of material heretofore practised by hand, has been a slow and expensive operation.

My present invention contemplates an 1m proved method of securing the strip of binding or covering material to the edge of a boot or shoe part and of folding said strip around the edge, which method consists of securing the binding or covering strip to the edge of the boot or shoe part while the greater portion of the width of said strip is held in an approximately perpendicular relation to the shoe part.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof-Figure 1 is intended to represent a boot or shoe I vamp with a strip of material secured thereto in such manner that said strip of material will stand approximately at right angles to the plane of the said shoe vamp;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the outside of a boot or shoe vamp with a strip of binding material secured thereto and folded around its edge to bind or cover the same; Fig. 3 is a cross section of the edge of the boot or shoe vamp taken through line 3-3 Fig. l, and shows the relative position of the strip of binding material after it has been secured to the edge of said vamp preparatory to the operation of folding it around the edge of the vamp; Fig. 4 is a cross section taken through line 44 Fig. 2 and shows the position of the binding strip after it has been folded around the edge of the boot or shoe vamp; Fig. 5 is a section of a boot or shoe part designed to illustrate the inside of said part and the method of folding the free edge of the binding or covering strip around both straight and curved edges.

The invention is illustrated in the drawings as applied to the edge of a closed shoe vamp. I desire it understood, however, that my invention is not to be limited in its application to the particular kind or form of shoe part as shown and described in the drawings and this specification, as it may be applied to any kind or form of shoe part Where it is desirable to bind or cover the edge of such part.

In the drawings, 1 represents a boot or shoe vamp having a strip of binding material 2 secured to its edge by a row of stitching 3. I do not, however, limit my invention to the method of securing a binding strip by stitching alone as the binding strip may be secured to the material to be bound by any other suitable means.

In applying a strip of material to the edge of a shoe part, I preferably start at a given point on the edge and progress around the edge with a continuous strip of material until the starting point is reached, holding the strip of material, while securing it, in a position approximately at right angles to the bod or material to Which it is being attached.

In securing the binding strip to the edge of a shoe part Ipreferably coat the binding strip with a coating of cement and likewise 1 preferably coat the surface of the shoe part which lies opposite to the surface to which the binding strip is first secured with cement previous ,to securing the binding strip to the shoe part. By previously coating the two surfaces 3 with cement, the method covered by my invention can be continuously performed and the binding strip caused to adhere to the surface of the shoe part better than if the cementing was done after the parts were first secured or stitched together.

By holding the binding strip in a position approximately at right angles to the body of the material to which it is to be secured, said binding strip can be easily and readily attached in or to curved lines, as Well as, on straight lines, as for. example, to the concave edge of the throat of a vamp, without puckering it, this method of securing the strip leaving the binding strip in such position that it can be readily folded aroundthe edge to be bound and secured thereto, as shown in Fig. 5.

When the binding strip is folded around a concave curved edge, as at 41-. in Fig. 5, the free edge of the binding strip is slitted, as at 5, 5, etc. The slits however, should reach in only part way across the binding strip so that they will not show from the outside of the shoe, as at 6 Fig. 2. By holding the binding material substantially perpendicular to the surface of the material to which it is to be secured and slitting the edge, the binding strip can be folded around the edge on curved as well as straight portions without any puckering or unevenness.

When the binding strip is attached by a sewing machine having my improved attachment, such as is shown in my application for Letters Patent of the United States filed the sixteenth day of June, 1916, Serial No.- 104,086, the strip of material is secured at an even distance from the edge of the sheet material to be bound so that when the binding material is folded around the edge as shown in Fig. 4, the strip at 7 will show a uniform and even surface; a. e., a. surface free from puckers and showing a uniform width. In attaching the strip 2 to the edge of material 1, the rows of stitching 8 come between the body of the strip 2 and the edge 9 of the material so that when-the material is folded around the edge of the strip as shown in Fig. 4, and the free edge 10 pressed down upon' the sheet of material 1, the row of stitching 8 is concealed, for the body of the binding strip will be folded over it to conceal it.

In practising my method, I preferably employ afolding machine as illustrated in my application for LettersPatent of the United States filed the sixteenth day of June. 1916, Serial No. 104,087 to turn the edge over and press the free portionlO of first attached; sewing or otherwise securing the strip of binding material to the sheet material or shoe part while the binding material is held in a relation approximately perpendicular to the surface of the sheet material; and thereafter folding the strip of material around the edge of the shoe part or sheet material and securing the free edge of the strip by cementing or otherwise to the surface of the sheet material. p

I do not limit myself to the particular application of my method as illustrated in the drawings forming a part of this specifica tion, nor to the means for initially securing the strip of material to the sheet material,

or shoe part as illustrated, as my method is capable of a wide application, the means of initially securing the strip may be varied or changed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. The method of binding the edge of sheet material, comprising securing a strip of material near one of its longitudinal edges to one side of the edge portion of said sheet material while the greater portion of said strip is held at an angle to the material being bound, then folding said strip of mate rial over the edge of said material being bound and securing the free portion of said strip of material in position upon the other side of the edge portion of said material being bound.

2. The" method of binding the edge of sheet material, comprising securing a strip of material near one of'its longitudinal edges to one side of the edge portion of said sheet while the greater portion of said strip is held at an angle to said sheet, said strip and sheet being so arranged that the stitched edge of said strip will be concealed when said strip is folded over the edge of said sheet, then folding said strip over the edge of said sheet and securing the free edge portion of said strip upon the other side of the edge portion of said sheet.

3. The method of binding the edge of sheet material comprising securing to one side of the edge portion of said sheet material a strip of material by a row of stitching passing through one of the longitudinal edge portions of said strip of material and the edge portion of the sheet material, then folding said strip of material over the edge of the sheet material and slitting the free edge portion of the strip material where concave portions of the she'etymaterial ocour and securing the free edge portion of said strip ofmate'rial upon the other side of the edge portion of said sheet material.

s 4. Themethod of binding the edge of sheet material, comprising securing a strip of ma terialnear one of its longitudinal'edges to one. s de of the edge portion of said sheet.

While the greater portion of said strip is held at anangle to said sheet, then folding said strip of material over the edge of said sheet of material and securing the free edgepor:

tion of said strip of material uponthe other,

side of said sheet of material by cement.

5. The method of binding the edge of a" sheet of material comprising cementing one side of the edge portion of the sheet ofmaterial and one side of suitable material in strip form, permitting the same to dry partially, then said strip of material to said sheet of material near the edge to be bound while said sheetand the tion of said strip are held at an-angle to each when said strip said sheet, thenf folding saidstrip of mategreater porother, sai d strip and-sheet beingso arranged that the cemented side of said strip will be adjacent the cemented side of said sheet is folded over the edge of rial over the edge of said'sheet of material "ting'the cementto partiallvdry, then stitch-' i-ng said strip of material at one edge thereof to said sheet of material near'the edge to be bound while the sheet tion-ofsaid strip are held at anangle toeach other, said strip andsheet being so arranged that the cemented side of'the free edgePOrtion of said strip will contact withsaid sheet said sheet,,then folding said stripfof material over the edge of said sheet of material wand finally securing-the. two materials to gether by-pressureapplied while the cement is still tacky.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this the 8th day of June, A. D. 1916. v

ALFRED B. WALES. Witnesses: I 'I R. P. ELLIOTT,

H. M. Knnso.

and the greater por- 45 ."whensaid strip is folded over the. edge of 1: 

